DISTINGUISHED LOCAL VETERAN WILLIAM YALE HONORED BY SENATOR MIKE NOZZOLIO AT INDUCTION INTO NEW YORK STATE VETERANS HALL OF FAME

Distinguished local U.S. Navy veteran and Executive Director of Sampson Veterans Memorial Cemetery, William “Bill” Yale was recently nominated for induction into the New York State Senate Veterans Hall of Fame by State Senator Mike Nozzolio. Bill Yale was inducted during a special ceremony at the State Capitol for his service to our Nation, as well as his dedicated efforts in working with Senator Mike Nozzolio to establish the Sampson Veterans Memorial Cemetery in Seneca County.

“As State Senator, I was pleased to work closely with Bill Yale as we fought to establish the Sampson Veterans Memorial Cemetery,” said Senator Nozzolio. “His commitment to honoring the service and sacrifice of our veterans is outstanding and I thank him for everything he has done on behalf of our State and local veterans. Under his able direction, leadership and tireless efforts, the Sampson Veterans Memorial Cemetery has experienced an incredibly successful start.”

The Sampson Veterans Memorial Cemetery is located on the hallowed ground of the former Sampson Naval and Air Force bases, where over one million sailors and airmen trained in preparation for battle to defend the United States of America. The Sampson Veterans Memorial Cemetery was dedicated on July 30, 2011 and is the final resting place for almost 200 veterans and their family members. The Sampson Veterans Memorial Cemetery is located in Romulus, New York, a tremendously beautiful setting on the eastern shore of Seneca Lake, and within the shadow of the nationally recognized birthplace of Memorial Day in Waterloo.

Bill entered the U.S. Navy in September 1977 and spent over 20 years serving our Nation. A Cold War Era veteran, he served on the USS Nitro AE-23, embarking on two Mediterranean deployments. He also served on the USS Nassau LHA-4 and was deployed to Beirut in 1984 and later to the Arctic Circle.

Throughout his distinguished career, Bill was deployed to a number of navy vessels all across the world and was awarded three Navy Achievement Medals, an Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal (for Beirut, Lebanon), Kuwait Liberation Medal, a Southwest Asia Medal, National Defense Service Medal, and four Good Conduct Medals. Bill also had the honor of being inducted into the Royal Order of the Blue Nose while serving aboard the USS Nassau LHA-4 while crossing the Arctic Circle. Bill retired in March 1999 as a First Class Parachute Rigger. He has served as Executive Director of the Sampson Veterans Memorial Cemetery since July 2011.

“It is an honor to recognize this distinguished veteran for all he has done to build the Sampson Veterans Memorial Cemetery into a world-class final resting place for the many veterans who served our nation with honor and dignity,” said Senator Nozzolio. “Bill is dedicated to operating the Sampson Veterans Memorial Cemetery under the strictest military standards and his great attention to detail insures full and complete compliance with every federal regulation. I look forward to working with Bill as we continue our efforts to honor and recognize the sacrifices of our brave servicemen and women.”

The New York Senate Veterans Hall of Fame is an annual program highlighting the exceptional service of a veteran from each Senate District. For more information on the Hall of Fame or to look up past inductees, visit the State Senate website here.

Bill Yale was joined at the State Capitol by his sisters Robin Yale-Murphy and Linda Maciulis, as well as last year’s honoree Don Linborg and his wife Mary Linborg.